A Tale of Two
by Gemini Star01
Summary: On an unfamilar planet, Daneil is confused for a wanted crimanal and arrested. The rest of SG-1 needs to hunt down the real crimanal before the leaders execute Jackson, but there may be more to this than meets the eye...CH 3 UP
1. Arrested

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…This is…strange. I suppose it came from a little while ago, when I was getting ready for a costume party…I couldn't figure out what to dress as, when my friend (another SG-1 fanatic) showed up at my house with these army fatigues and a digital camera… and I discovered that if I brush my hair the right way and wore glasses instead of contacts, I look remarkably like a certain archeologist we all know and love. Combine that with my desire to write an at least halfway-believable, original-flavor FanFic that sounded at least a little like the show, and a little too much Diet Dr. Pepper after 2 in the morning…it turns out pretty cool.

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Season: ……………I suppose…sometime in first or second season, before Daniel got his hair cut so short (yes, this is important…)

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Spoilers: Only if you've never seen 'Stargate' before.

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Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with Stargate: SG-1. What would make you think I own it? I can't even drive yet.

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A Tale of Two

Chapter 1: Arrested

A slim figure slipping through the trees, sliding from one branch to the next. It paused a moment, leaning back against the trunk of her post a moment, glancing out with cautious blue eyes as a new noise approached.

The quiet of a deep, crisp autumn woods was broken by the cracking of branches beneath the heavy, oaken wheels of the wagon. Said mode of transportation was painted black, its windows tinted so that no one could see in or out, and pulled by two ash-black horses. Two guards drove the carriage, with another at the rear, and four on horseback surrounding it.

A soft whistle echoed through the forest, the call of a familiar bird. One of the guards turned his head to listen, a slight grin passing over his face.

Quite suddenly, the shaft of an arrow had sliced through his neck, knocking the dead body to the ground.

The remaining guards shot on high alert, grabbing for their weapons. By the time they had their guns out, two more of them had been taken down, one by an arrow and the other by the swing of a sword.

The head spun around, pulling out his weapon and firing half-solidified laser bullets into the trees. He was returned with an identical blast from the trees, hitting him right between the eyes.

"Tasukeru!" a loud voice suddenly echoed, and a dozen people leapt from the trees. The guards were quickly over-whelmed, and soon the horses had been disconnected from the cart.

Two of the attackers broke the lock on the back door of the cart and flung them open. Several cases and chests were inside. They dumped one of them out, spilling gold silver and jewels onto the ground.

"Ashitaka." one of them called, motioning to their leader.

One of the guards, still living through his wounds, looking up through the haze of near-unconsciousness. The bandit leader came across the leaf-strewn ground, boots crunching against the earth. Pale blue eyes looked down at the riches, a slight scowl of disgust crossed chapped lips.

"Get as much as you can out of here." a softly-sanded voice muttered, short, light brown hair shaking against tanned skin as she jutted her head towards the trees. "One trip only…Inconvenience them as much as possible. We'll have to try again."

The guard let out a very soft growl, feeling his awareness slip away. "Ashitaka…"

~ * ~ * ~ 

Another day…another planet to explore.

It was just a typical mission for the SG-1 team. The planet they had gated to, designation P3L-297, had previously been explored by SG-10. The civilization they had found was very prosperous…the ornaments and architecture were a subtle blend between the yin-and-yang principal of the ancient middle-east, and the transportation and elegant robes and tapestries of western middle-ages. However, their technology was very advanced…not as advanced as the Ga'ould, mind you, but still more advanced than Earth.

SG-1 had been assigned to make contact with the leaders of this race…a group called the High Council. The only problem being that they couldn't find the High Council…the Council met in the grand palace at the center of their biggest town, and they couldn't figure out the way in.

Since the people's secondary language was very close to English, the team had split into two group. Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c were exploring the upper half of town, where some of the wealthier citizens lived, while Dr. Jackson and Major Carter searched the marketplace for clues.

At the moment, Daniel was attempting to speak to a fishmonger without having to buy half a pound of fresh tuna, which coincidently didn't smell quite so fresh.

"Sir, please…" he urged, brushing the hair back from his eyes. "We just want to know…We need to meet…"

"The fish is good!" the man insisted, slurring his speech with a wide smile. "Fish very good! Good value! Only 200 pieces!"

"Yes, yes, it's very…very good." Daniel cleared his throat. "But I don't have any money…" the man frowned and seamed to loose his interest in him. "Please…we need to meet with the Council. Can't you tell us…"

"No." the man snapped, reaching into a bucket of herring. "There is nothing to tell you."

"Okay…" Daniel sighed. "Then do you know anybody else who could…"

The fishmonger pulled out an absolutely gigantic fish, slapping it down on the table. Juices and water shot from the fish, some of it splashing into Daniel's face.

The archeologist sputtered a bit, wiping off the excess. Just behind him, he could hear Major Carter stifling her giggles. "Ha ha…Very funny, Sam." he muttered sourly, taking off his glasses to attempt to clean them on his shirt. 

The fish-seller looked up at him, probably to laugh at him. He glanced for a moment into Daniel's eyes, pale and slightly unfocused without the lenses in front of them. He froze, mouth dropping open.

Daniel slid his glasses back on, and noticed how the man was gaping at him. "What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "What is it, what's wrong?"

The man took in a few breaths, then pulled his fish back into his cart and sped away, eyes wide and glancing back at Daniel nervously. He and Sam stared, confused.

"What's wrong with him?" the Major asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I have…no idea." Daniel shrugged, and they headed back to meet the other two members of SG-1.

~ * ~ * ~

Colonel Jack O'Neill was not enjoying his trip.

The people in the northern district had been completely useless. None of them had known anything of if they had known, they didn't want to ell outside red that they didn't know. Sure, they were polite enough. But they were still useless.

Now he and Teal'c stood just outside of the bustling city, on the edge of the road heading for a large expanse of woods where the Stargate was located. He sat on top of a large bolder, while Teal'c stood next to the line of trees, holding his staff weapon and gazing around unemotionally.

There was a rustle. Jack turned his head towards the trees, focusing on its source, but found nothing. He watched a moment, then turned back, satisfied that nothing was there.

"O'Neill." Teal'c suddenly announced. "Major Carter and Daniel Jackson are approaching."

The Colonel turned back and pushed off the rock, dropping to the ground. Carter and Daniel came trudging up the hill, neither looking too happy and Daniel with something visibly sticky in his hair.

"Welcome back."

"Hello, sir." Carter nodded a small salute, then sat down on the rock, winded. Daniel sat next to her, leaning his head against the bolder. It was a long walk from the other side of town.

Jack glanced at the two of them. "From the looks on your faces, I'll take it you had about as much luck as we did."

"Just about sir…" Carter sighed, brushing her bangs back and removing her helmet. 

Daniel sighed as well, then a glint of something odd caught his eye. He sat up and tried to focus on it, squinting against the sun. "Now what do you suppose is up with that?"

Then others turned, just as a mob of about 20 people came rushing up the hill, all armed and glaring. Jack and Sam reached for their guns, and Teal'c gripped his staff weapon, but the four were quickly surrounded.

Daniel jumped to his feet. "Wait a second!" he exclaimed. "What is the meaning of this?!"

In response, two of the people grabbed him by the shoulders and yanked him back, handcuffing his hands behind him before Jack or any of the others could react. The Colonel moved forward. "Daniel!"

The apparent leader of the group raised his weapon…an odd kind of gun that was a cross between our own projectile-firing weapons and the Ga'ould Zat guns…and glared at Colonel O'Neill.

"Drop your weapons. All of you." he ordered gruffly. "In the name of the High Council, you are all under arrest."

**__**

TBC…


	2. Ashitaka

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Sorry it took so long…I'm having some major computer problems.

Speaking of which, I just realized that Sam became a Major sometime AFTER Daniel cut his hair…in the 3rd season or something. Oops. My bad.

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Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with Stargate: SG-1. However, I do own Ashitaka and the bandit people, as well as this basic idea.

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A Tale of Two

Chapter 2: Ashitaka

Jack paced the edge of the bar-lined cell, visibly pissed. They'd been over-powered, robbed of their weapons, and seperated as fast as any Ga'ould trap. Once they'd arrived in this make-shift jail underneath the Council's palace, he'd been given a medical examination to make Doc Fraiser proud. He still felt flash-blinded by the 'penlight' they'd shone into his eyes a couple dozen times…

Now he was back in this miserable excuse for a holding cell, with no idea where or what had become of his team. And he was Not Happy about it.

There was a creaking screech of the barred door opening wide. The Colonel's head snapped up, facing three of the guards. The leader jutted his head down the hall. "Come along." he said calmly.

"To where?" Jack snapped, irate.

"Just come." the other two guards pulled him out, and they began marching down the hall.

Said hallways were very dimly lit, badly enough that Jack couldn't see his own hand in front of his face. Somehow or another his guards could, however, so he decided to keep his big mouth shut His ears picked up the noises of others coming their way, and in a few moments they were joined by two more groups of three… Who or what, he could only guess…and hope.

Quite suddenly, the little caravan stopped and a door opened wide. Noon-time sunlight streamed in, and for a few minutes Jack was blinded. His arms raised on reflex and he squinted against the light.

"We apologize for the mistake." the leader mumbled distastefully. "The initial examination has cleared you of all charges. You're free to go. Please do not hold this against us."

With that, he gave Jack a rough shove and he stumbled back into the light. The Colonel tripped and hit the ground rather hard, taking a few moments to realize that two others had landed beside him.

He looked up against the sun, still blinking. "…Carter? Teal'c?"

"Here, sir." Sam reported, still recovering herself. "It's just…a bit hard to see."

"…Damn dark in that place." Jack muttered sourly.

Teal'c turned his head, looking this way and that. His body suddenly stiffened in the familiar, tense, battle-ready stance. "O'Neill." he called suddenly. "There is no sign of Daniel Jackson."

Jack straightened immediately, eyes darting around. Carter…Teal'c…but it was true. No Daniel. Not even a broken pair of glasses or lump of rock. "Where is he?!"

"…They must still have him." Sam whispered, slowing coming to realization. "The police or whoever they are…They must still have Daniel!"

Jack spun back to where they had come, but there was nothing but the blank stone wall of the duel-style palace. He touched it experimentally, then slammed his fist against it to make _sure_ it was solid. It was, and he nearly broke three of his knuckles in the test.

"Sir, it's probably some sort of…secret entrance, to keep people from getting in or out." Sam reasoned, feeling along the edges of the stones. "With stone this thick, it'll be impossible to find it from the outside."

Something caught Teal'c's eye, and the ever-observant Jaffa crossed to examine it.

"We _have_ to find a way in!" Jack snapped. "We can't go back without Daniel!"

"O'Neill. Major Carter." a calm, unemotional voice came from the side. "There is something here you should see."

"Sir, we can't break him out of jail, especially from another planet!" Sam insisted. "We could ruin any chance we have at a diplomatic relation!"

"Major Carter…"

"I don't _care_, Carter!" Jack exclaimed. "There's been no explanation, no trial, no…"

"O'Neill!"

"What?" the two military officers turned.

Teal'c was standing just a few meters away, looking at something pinned to a tree at the edge of the woods. "I think I have found the reason these people have arrested Daniel Jackson."

"What do you mean?" Sam raised an eyebrow, coming to the Jaffa's side. Her eyes scanned the parchment notice, then widened in surprise. "Oh my god…"

Jack crossed over to the other two, still a bit cheesed off. The heavy parchment was nailed to the side of the tree, a large, well-drawn close-up in the very center. Around and under it, in large, detailed letters, were the message:

**__**

WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE

THE BANDIT LORD ASHITAKA

Also know as 'the Thief of Fair Eyes'

**For crimes of escaping imprisonment, murder, robbery of the Counsel's riches, attacking national guards and vandalism of national monuments.**

REWARD: 100,000 pieces for capture of the Bandit Lord himself.

10,000 pieces for each member of heathen gang

Jack looked up and examined the picture closely. Hair that was not quite dark and not quite light, a bit longer than 'short'…calculating, serious look…wide, pale eyes…

His mouth dropped open. "Damn…"

"…He looks just like Daniel." Sam whispered.

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. . . . . .

It took a few moments for Daniel to realize he'd regained consciousness. He was lying face-down on a pile of hay, a few of the pieces poking into his face and eyes.

He pushed himself up and tried to look around him, but the darkness and the fact that they had taken away his glasses made it rather hard. He could vaguely make out the formations of a light-filled, barred window…the bars of a cell door, which he'd seen from the inside a few too many times for someone with no official crime record…a small jar… and the pile of hay which lay on now.

…What had happened? He closed his eyes a moment, trying to re-align his senses.

He, Jack, Sam and Teal'c had been taken by a very large group of the local guards…police, you could call them…into the Council's palace. But the way in had disappeared as soon as they entered, leaving him confused as to weather they were actually in the place at all.

He had been yanked away, pulled down another of the long halls. Jack, though bound, had protested loudly and with very colorful language at the way they were treating his team. One of the guards had kicked him in the stomach and, naturally enough, put an end to it.

The next thing Daniel remembered, he was in some strange sort of examination room. People in white that he had to suppose were doctors had entered, and forced his eyes unnaturally wide so that they could shine in light…Lots of it. And not the quick little blast-with-the-pen-light he was used to Janet using whenever he got hurt. This went on long enough that he was afraid he would go completely blind, and by the time they finished, his eyes were streaming tears in a desperate attempt to re-moisten them. He'd been seeing many colors for a very long time afterwards.

Actually, he hadn't had a long time to realize the colors, because only minutes after the light was gone, someone had struck him very hard up the side of the head. He lashed out in what little reflex he had acquired in the last two years, but the disarming fact that his hands were still cuffed made it a bit hard. After that…well, from the raw pain he was getting in his face, and the fact that his left eye was nearly swelled shut, he assumed that they must have beaten him over the head until he fell unconscious.

Friendly folks.

He felt along the ground, searching for his glasses. But there wasn't a trace of them, or anything else except cold, hard stone. He ran his fingers along the walls until he reached the bars of the cell door, the leaned forward to peer into the hall.

"…Jack?" he called. "Sam? Teal'c?…Anybody?"

For a moment, his words echoed in a melancholy way against the hard stone. He strained his ears to catch any calls from his friends. There was nothing.

Then, he caught the noise of heavy footsteps pounding down the hallway. Out of instinct he moved back when it got close, peering up at the guard with squinting eyes.

The man scowled down at him, dark eyes narrowed in distaste. Daniel gave a bit of a half-hearted smile, trying to get his attention. "Um…Hello."

The guard glared at him, dropping a bowl into his cell with a growl. The lumpy, white substance that splashed out looked disgusting and smelled even worse.

"Eat up, you rat." the guard hissed. "Though I don't know why we'd even bother wasting food on your likes."

Daniel picked it up, grimacing at the smell but trying to fake appreciation. "Yes… uh…thank you." he gulped. "This is very…uh…very good."

The guard growled at him again and kicked the bars, the vibrations echoing against Daniel's ears. The archeologist groaned, feeling his head spin groggily in protest to the sound. By the time he looked back up, the guard was gone.

"…Great." he sighed, setting the bowl of…gruel…down in the corner for later. He leaned back against the wall with a sigh. "Why do things like this always happen to me?"

**__**

TBC…


	3. A Surprising Revelation

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Yes, poor Daniel…he gets a bit more active in the next chapter. But for a first SG-1 fic, it's not bad, ne?

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Disclaimer: I still don't own anything related to Stargate: SG-1. If I did, even if Daniel did 'die' at the end of Season 5, somebody a bit more interesting than Jonas Quinn would've come in to take his place…No, I'm not particularly fond of Jonas…

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A Tale of Two

Chapter 3: A Surprising Revelation

The heavy, titanium mechanism slid open to the lights and alarms that were the norm in the SGC. The wormhole shot out with a loud _KAWOOSH, _then settled back in place as the door opened and Gen. Hammond entered.

A sole figure stepped through the wormhole, dressed in the familiar army fatigues. She sighed, brushing back short blonde hair, and stepped down from the ramp and faced the C.O.

"Sir." she saluted respectfully.

"Major Carter." the general nodded, the glance around. "Where's the rest of SG-1?"

"It's a long story, sir." she sighed, as the two automatically began to walk towards the General's office. "Daniel's been arrested."

"What?!"

"The people of the planet confused him for a wanted criminal." Sam moved her hands in an attempt to explain, but it didn't work too well. "Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c stayed behind to try and clear him, but it's not looking too good. We asked the people around the city, and from the looks of things, the only way to convince any of them that Daniel is innocent is to catch the real one, and for that we'll need back-up."

"Back-up?" the general raised an eyebrow. "To capture one person?"

"This is no ordinary criminal, sir." the Major tried to explain. "This…Ashitaka… is the leader of a group of thieves and vandals, according to the people on the planet."

"'Ashitaka'…" Hammond frowned. "Any ideas what that could mean?"

"Not at all, sir." she sighed. "But apparently he's been causing a lot of havoc lately…and, unfortunately for Daniel, the penalty for the crimes is pretty severe."

"How so?"

"Sir…" she stopped and looked at the older man very seriously. "If we can't clear Daniel's name in two days…The leaders of the planet plan to execute him."

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. . . . . .

Daniel shifted a little, opening his eyes to a loud shouting. He didn't really remember falling asleep…but he supposed he must have dropped off out of boredom. After all, he had spent the last few hours assessing eighteen different escape plans (all of which ended in his eventual capture or getting shot), contemplating all the things he'd done since the arrival on the planet that might warrant him arrest (couldn't think of anything) and carefully going through the alphabet of every language he had memorized (his usual way of killing time…it took quite a while). From the looks of the sunset out his window, he'd been here at six hours.

The voice that had woken him came from just down the hall, and was coming closer. He sat up, leaning against the wall and peering out of the bars as the two arguing parties approached.

"Sir, there is nothing to discuss here." the first was one of the armed guards that had been passing by every few hours. "You have your money, now leave."

"This is not what you promised!" the other was the fishmonger he had spoken to in the town square. He was waving around a piece of parchment in one hand, a small sack jingling with coins in the other. "You promised 100,000 pieces for the capture! This is no more than 1,000!"

"You merely provided the information to his capture!" the guard snapped. "The full reward is for the one who brought the criminal in!" he turned and called passed him. "Get this man out of here!"

Two more guards appeared and dragged the furious man away. As he struggled against them, the piece of parchment fell from his hands and drifted to the floor.

Daniel reached out carefully and pulled it into his cell. It took a few minutes for him to get sufficient light and the page at the right distance to be able to read the bulky writing.

"Wanted…Bandit Lord Ashitaka…" he muttered quietly, then glanced a moment at the picture. It was nearly like looking in a hand-drawn mirror, without his glasses. "Well…this explains a few things…"

****

. . . . . .

The SG-1 team rode through the woods…yes, rode. Through a bit of debate and a little ingenuity, they'd managed to obtain a horse-drawn cart and a horse to draw it. Sam and Jack were technically 'driving' the cart, while Teal'c sat the back to act as a 'guard'. Their covered cargo was actually SG-9, hidden by a dark green cloth.

"…Somethin' I don't get." Jack suddenly spoke up. "They arrested all of us at first. Why just keep Daniel?"

"Indeed." Teal'c agreed. "Could they not have assumed that we were members of these thieves as well?"

"Well, sir…" Sam sighed. "I think it has something to do with that medical examination they gave us…"

"They shined lights in my eyes." Jack rubbed them in demonstration.

"That's just it, sir." Sam nodded. "That's basically what framed Daniel."

Jack blinked at her a moment, then raised an eyebrow. "Let me get this straight…They arrest Daniel because of his _eyes_?"

"Well, in a way…" Sam sighed, running a hand through her hair. "From what I can gather from the people around here, and what Janet said, these bandits all have a slightly different brain chemistry than the rest of the population. Their pupils dilate differently than the rest.…They're larger than other peoples, the difference especially visible when they respond to a large amount of light."

"…So?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Some people on our world have this reaction too, but it's unnatural and their eyes don't adapt to it very well." Sam glanced into the trees, shifting a bit nervously. "They're called 'nearsighted' and usually have some kind of corrective lenses so they can see clearly."

"Like Daniel Jackson." Teal'c nodded in understanding. "He cannot see great distances without his glasses."

"Exactly. They mistook his reliance on his glasses for a tell-tale genetic defect that sets these bandits apart from the other people on the planet."

"That's just screwed." Jack muttered.

A birdcall suddenly echoed through the trees. Jack raised and eyebrow as Teal'c stiffened. "Pretty noisy birds around here, eh?"

Sam was scanning the trees around them cautiously, then suddenly shouted. "Colonel, get down!"

Jack didn't think twice before hitting the deck, an arrow zipping just past his head to lodge in a tree behind him. Teal'c spun around, firing his staff weapon in the direction the projectile had come from.

A person clad in dark skins came leapt from the tree, rolling to a stop in front of the cart. The horse whinnied and reared back, it would have trampled the man had he not slid out of the way at the last minute.

A wild war-whoop suddenly echoed through the trees. Three, four, five people, all dressed in a woodsman's garb, bright blue eyes shining in anticipation, dropped from the trees around them. At the same moment, the major in charge of SG-9 threw off the green tarp and their five members leapt out.

What ensued was a volley of partially-solid laser blasts, Zat charges and the occasional bullets. After fifteen minutes, two soldiers were wounded, and three of the attackers were staggering.

"Minna-san!" a voice suddenly shouted over them. "Taikyaku!"

The men who could still walk scrambled away as best they could, dragging the one who was injured. Jack spun around, glaring knives. "Oh no you don't!" he exclaimed, dropping his Zat in the cart and lunging for a staggering man. "We're gettin' at least one of you, weather we…"

He was cut off suddenly as someone crashed into him, knocking him back. Jack stumbled and regained his balance, looking up to find himself staring into glaring blue eyes. The new attacker had messy, light brown hair, body covered by a long, dark cloak.

"Ah…Ashitaka-san!" the other man gasped.

The brown-haired stranger turned to glare at him. "Hikage. Yameru imasu guni."

"H-Hai, shidosha. Arigato." the man gasped, and vanished into the trees.

Jack looked up at the newcomer. "So, you're Mr. High-and-Mighty Ashitaka, eh?" his eyes narrowed. "Listen, buddy, I've got a bone to pick with you!"

On the last word he lunged forward, punching the other in the stomach. The bandit slid backwards, bracing his feet in the dirt, then righted himself with a glare.

"From your accent, you are not from the capitol, nor are from the surrounding areas." a gentle-yet-rough-edged voice switched to English. "It was our mistake in attacking you, and we have not interest in pressing the m. Leave my people in peace."

"Well that's very neighborly of you, but it ain't good enough." Jack growled, checking his footwork for another lunge. "A friend of ours is serving your time, and Bandit Lord or Not, bringing you in gets him out!"

Ashitaka's eyes widened slightly in surprise. Jack took this opportunity to leap forward and connect a hard right too the cheek, followed up by a rough kick in the chest, sending his opponent careening into the tree behind him.

The Bandit Lord dropped to the ground, slightly winded. In that few seconds, Teal'c jumped forward and lifted their opponent off the ground, arms pinned in an easy hold.

"It appears we have done it, O'Neill." he reported. "Now we must exchange this man for Daniel Jackson."

"Um…except there's one problem, Teal'c." Sam said.

Jack looked back at her, eyebrows raised in skepticism. The Major was staring at their new 'prisoner' slack-jawed, as though she couldn't believe her eyes. He turned back to look and his mouth fell open.

Teal'c was holding the figure's arms so that the dark cloak was now open. The figure's darkly-clothed body was very small and slight, built very much like a gymnast. However, it also had certain lumps and curves that gave a very interesting story…

"Holy crap." Jack exclaimed. "He's a _GIRL_!"

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Heh heh heh…I am evil. Very evil…This chapter seams kinda…lame to me. But it's the best I can do. Damn…

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Dictionary of Translation

I drew most of the Bandit's language from Japanese. Some of it I changed a bit, some of it I didn't, but here are some of the translations of what they're saying:

Chapter 1

Tasukeru - Attack

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Chapter 2

Minna-san - Everyone

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Taikyaku - Retreat

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Hikage. Yameru imasu guni. - Hikage _(name) _Leave. Right now.

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H-Hai, shidosha. Arigato - Yes, leader. Thank you.


End file.
